Apparatus for refrigerating railway cars in transit



March 24, 1953 H. S. GOSS APPARATUS FOR REFRIGERATING R AILWAY CARS IN TRANSIT Filed July 5, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l HUBERT S. 6055 INVENTOR HUEBNER BEEHLER WORREL,

HERZ/G 8 QILDWELL ATTORNEYS H s GOSS 2,632,309

APPARATUS FOR REFRIGERATING RAILWAY CARS IN TRANSIT HUBERT 5. cos;

INVENTOR HUEBNER, BEEHLER, WORREL,

ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 HERZ/G 8 CALDWELL March 24, 1953 Filed July 5, 1950 Patented Mar. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR REFRIGERATING RAILWAY CARS IN TRANSIT Hubert S. Goss, Fresno, Calif.

Application July '5, 1950, serial No. 172,178 '1 Claims. (CI. 62-24) 1 The present invention relates generally to refrigerating systems and more particularly to apparatus for precoolin'g produce ladened railway cars while in transit from loading points to destinations where the cars are unloaded.

A large proportion of fresh produce which is shipped from the location where it is grown to distant markets is transported in refrigerated railway cars. These railway cars each have a perforated bunker at each end which is loaded with ice by which the produce is p-re'cooled and subsequently refrigerated. This precooi'ing of a consignment of produce in railway cars has been found imperative to the proper maintenance of marketable quality of the produce.

In order to remove the initial heat from such railway cars and produce loaded therein, it is the conventional practice to provide blowers independent of the cars which are detachably connected thereto and circulate air through the bunkers and the produce. This precooling operation usually requires that the cars remain stationary after being loaded for several hours in order that the verage temperature in the cars be sufficiently reduced to preserve the quality of the produce during transporta'tionto market.

Circulating fans are also usually provided in or adjacent to the ice bunkers for circulating air through the ice and through the cargoes of produce in the cars during travel thereof. These circulating fans are conventionauy driven from the Wheels or the railway car while the car is in motion. With this arrangement the air is forcibly circulated only while the railway car is in motion. When the car is stationary, as when switched onto a siding while other cars are marsh'aled or awaiting dispatch, no appreciable circulation of air through the car occurs. In instances where a railway car is stationary for an appreciable period of time after it has been loaded with produce, the fans remain stationary, circulation of cold air through the car ceases, and the produce deteriorates. As a partial solution and not an entirely satisfactory expedient,

a supplemental driving means for the circulation fans of the refrigerating system of the railway car has been developed to cool the car in the absence of movement adequate to motivate the fans from the wheels of the car. This development has taken the form of an electric motor having driving connection with the circulating fans. It is of course requisite that a source of electrical energy be available if the motor is to be operated when needed. In many sidings where refrigerated cars are marshaled and stand for an appreciable period of time, electric cur- 2 rent is not available. It thus has been found desirable to supplement the wheel drive of the circulating fans of refrigerating systems so that the fans may be operated under all conditions whether the car is in motion or not and independent of the availability of electrical energy.

It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for cooling railway cars ladened with fresh produce that is more dependable than the conventionally employed apparatus.-

Another object is to provide a cooling apparatus for railway cars which is selectively operable while the railway car is in'motion, as in transporting the produce, and while the car is stationary, as on siding at a packing house or along a railroad right-of-way.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for precooling produce -la'dened railway cars to supplement the conventional wheel driven circulating systems.

Another object is to provide a circulating fan driving mechanism a refrigerated railway car with improved universal and adjustable mounting of a belt guard for the apparatus.

Another object is to provide, in an apparatus of the class described, an improved engine mounting, the positioning of which and thetorsional mounting of which maintains a drivin link taught between the motor and circulating fan shaft.

Another object is to provide in a drive mechanism for the circulating fan in a refrigerated car, means for adapting the motor mounting for attachment to various conventional refrigorator car constructions.

Another object is to provide an improved fuel tank mounting for an engine drive mechanism for refrigerator car ventilation fans.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the description in the specification.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of one end of a refrigerated railway car :showing a ventilation fan driving apparatus of the present invention in operable posit-ion attached to one side and below the body of the refrigerator car as employed to drive conventional circulating fans within the car.,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the engine and mounting together with its belt guard and novel mounting therefor as dependently supported on the fragmentarily illustrated irailway can.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary axial section through an opening provided in the side of the railway car showing the fan shaft and pulleys therefor and an improved construction for belt guard mounting, as taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an adjustable,

attachable bracket for supporting the upper end motor mounting rod and adjacent motor mounting parts on line 7-1 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is an axially tranverse section through the engine mounting rod spacer member showing the means for adjusting the torque on the engine mounting, as taken along line 8-43 in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a cross section taken longitudinally of. a railway car through one of its reinforcing cross beams showing the liquid fuel supply tank for the driving engine and the means for mounting the tank-on the beam.

Fig. 10 is a vertical section through the fuel tank mounting, as taken along line [El-l9 in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a horizontal section through the means of attaching the fuel tank supporting frame on the fuel tank support, as viewed from line H-|l in Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the clamp support for the fuel tank.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings:

The circulating fan driving apparatus of the present invention is designed for use in connection with a conventional refrigerator car shown fragmentarily in Fig. 1 of the drawing and indicated generally by the reference numeral If). The refrigerator car comprises a body H which is supported on a plurality of wheels l2 for movement during transportation in the well known manner on railroad tracks. The body is supj ported on a pair of parallel longitudinal beams l3 interconnected by a plurality of spaced cross beams 14 weldably or otherwise secured therebetween. The beams I3 and M are usually of channel. iron, as illustrated by the beam !4 in Fig. 9, and are employed in edgewardly erect positions. The lower outer longitudinal corners of the body H of therefrigerator car are reinforced each withwa side angle member l5 which supports a wooden sill I6 thereon, as shown in Fig. 7. A floor H of the body of the refrigerator car is nailed to the upper sides of the sill I6 and extends therebetween the full length and width of the car body in vertically spaced relation to the cross beams l4. The refrigerator car body is enclosed along opposite longitudinal sides by vertical side walls l8 one or both of which is provided with a circular opening it therethrough. Each opening is circumscribed by an annular frame which is secured to the side wall concentrically of the opening. A central opening 2| is provided concentrically of the frame 20 which is flared inwardly at 22, as shown in Fig. 3.

' Refrigerator cars are also provided with conventional apparatus not shown in the drawings including air porous ice bunkers within the body of the car and rotary fans for circulation of air through the ice bunkers and through the body of the car. The circulation fans are mounted on a fan shaft 25, illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, having a drive pulley 26 attached near its outer end. This pulley is conventionally employed to rotate the fans by means of a belt 21 from the wheels of the refrigerator car while the car is in transit. The outer terminal end of the fan shaft 25 is threaded, as at 28 in Fig. 3, to receive an auxiliary pulley 29 for the supplemental driving apparatus of the present invention.

The fan shaft 25 is adapted to be driven by the auxiliary driving apparatus of the present invention by providing an internal combustion engine 33 which is supported below the body of the refrigerator car by means of a bracket 33 welded or otherwise secured to the underside of one of the side angle members I5 of the refrigerator car. The engine is supported in a cradle 34 and a frame 35 supported on the bracket 33. The bracket 33 is essentially conventional in that it is provided on railway cars to support the electric motors previously described. The internal combustion engine 32 is of any suitable design having a crank shaft 38 with a starting pulley 31 secured to one end thereof and a drive pulley 38 secured to its opposite" end. An endless belt 39 extends circuitously around the auxiliary pulley 29 and the drive pulley .38 on the engine. Thus, while the engine 32 is in operation, the fan shaft 35 and the circulation fans thereon are rotated to circulate the air in therefrigerator car by means of the endless belt 39.

The above mentioned bracket 33 comprises a pair of angular legs 43 which are welded at their upper ends to the underside of one of the side angle members it of the refrigerator car which converged downwardly having a horizontal transversely extending sleeve 4| welded between their lower ends. The engine mounting frame 35 is supported on the bracket 33 by a novel torsion support member indicated generally by the reference numeral 42 having a tubular portion 43 shown particularly in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. A torsion support rod 44 extends coaxially of the tubular portion 43 with an annular cushion 45 of rubber or other suitable material located tightly between the rod and tubular portion. The cushion is af ixed under compression between the rod 44 and the tubular portion 43 so that the rod cannot rotate appreciably in the cushion and so that the cushion cannot rotate appreciably in the portion of the support member. A washer 46 is received onto the outer end of the rod 44 tightly against one end of the cushion 45. A conical collar 41 is received over the rod 44 against the opposite end of the cushion with the rod 44 extending coaxially of the sleeve M of the bracket 33. The conical collar is self-centering in the sleeve. A spacer member, indicated generally by the reference numeral 43, engages the opposite end of the sleeve portion of the bracket 33 embracing a portion of the rod 44. A sleeved nut 49 is threadedly received on the inner terminal end of the rod 44 and has a T-handle 50 at its outer end so that the nut may be turned tightly inwardly on the rod to hold the torsion support member 42, bracket 33 and spacer member 48 in assembled relation.

The spacer member 48 comprises a tubular portionb i having a sliding fit over the rod 44 and having a substantially central diametrically enlarged portion 55. The spacer member 48 is reversible endwardly on the rod and each end of the tubular portion 54 is formed conically at 5B for engagement into the sleeve 4| of the bracket 33 for self-centering purposes. The tubular portion 54 of the spacer member is maintained nonrotatably on the rod 44 by providing a pair of pins or keys 51 which extend radially inwardly of the tubular portion and into a groove 58 formed longitudinally of the rod 44. The tubular portion 54 of the spacer member is rotatable on its axis in a supporting member comprising a radially extending plate 59 and a spaced Z-shaped plate 6! which are maintained in spaced relation by means of a stretcher plate 61 welded at its ends to the inner surfaces of the plates 59 and 60. The tubular portion 54 of the spacer member extends rotatably through the plates 59 and 60 with the enlarged portion 55 of the tubular portion engaging the inner surfaces of the spaced plates 59 and S0 maintaining the tubular portion longitudinally of the plates. The radial plate, the Z-plate, and the stretcher plate together comprise a bracket box rotatably mounted on the tubular portion and radially extended therefrom.

The spacer member 43 may be located oppositely and endwardly on the rod 44 to accommodate various constructions of refrigerator cars. The spacer member may be mounted as illustrated in Fig. 6 or as illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings. In Fig. 6, the Z-shaped plate 68 is located closely adjacent to the rear side of the bracket 33 and is prevented from rotation relative thereto by a pair of angular torque bars 62 which are welded to opposite edges of the plate 60 and embrace opposite sides of the angular legs 4b of the bracket 33 which prevents turning of the spacer member 48 relative to the bracket. In some instances thesleeve portion 4! of the bracket 33 is mounted beneath the body of the refrigerator car by means of a single central leg and therefore a pair of parallel torque bars 63 are provided which engage opposite sides of the single leg to maintain the spacer member against rotation. Some railway cars are constructed with a wooden beam 54 as illustrated in Fig. '7 of the drawings. A plurality of pointed prongs 65 are secured to the outer face of the radial plate 59 and the spacer member 48 is positioned on the rod with the prongs directed toward the beam 64 when mounted on such cars. On tightening the sleeved nut 49 on the rod 44 to secure the torsion support member 42 on the bracket 33, the prongs 65 engage the wooden beam 64 and prevent the spacer member from turning axially to provide the proper torque resistance for the engine supporting frame 35.

With the plates 59 and 69 and the stretcher plate 65 of the spacer member 48 held nonrotatably on the railway car and with the tubular portion 54 of the spacer member and the rod 44 rotatably mounted in the plates 59 and 60, means are provided for adjusting the rotative positioning of the tubular member and rod in the plates to regulate the effective torque between the rod and the torsion support member 42 so that the motor or engine mounting frame 35 and the engine are pivoted in a direction to maintain the endless belt 39 at the proper tension. This regulating means comprises an adjustingrod 68 illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 of the drawing. The upper end of the adjusting rod is rotatably mounted and endwardly extended through the stretcher plate 6! of the spacer member 48 by a pair of spaced heads 69 with the adjusting rod contacting opposite sides of the stretcher plate. The pair of axially spaced'arms 70 are secured to and extend radially from the tubular portion 54 of the spacer member having a pivoted block H mounted between the outer ends axially parallel with the tubular portion 54. ihe adjusting rod 68 extends threadedly through the pivoted block H and is provided with a winged head 12 at its lower end whereby the rod may be conveniently turned. On manual rotation of the winged head E2, the adjusting rod 68 is rotated regulating the angularity of the spaced arms 10 relative to the stretcher plate 6| and spacer member which regulates the rotative positioning of the rod 44 and the torque between'the rod and the torsion support member 42 and the engine mounting frame 35.

The engine mounting frame 35 is supported on the torsion support member 42 by providing the torsion support member with a base plate 18 to which is bolted a horizontal rectangular guide plate ii. The guide plate is attached to the torsion support member adjacent to one of its ends and a rod '13 is attached to and extends vertically upwardly from the opposite end of the guide plate and is provided with a resilient foot it at its upper terminal end. The foot 19 contacts the under side of the railway car to limit pivotal movement of the plate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5. The engine mounting frame 35 is provided with spaced parallel guideways Est which slidably engage the edges of the guide plate ll whereby the engine mounting frame is movable transversely of the bracket 33. Adjustment of the engine mounting frame is accomplished by providing a bearing 9| at the right hand end or the guide plate ll, as viewed in Fig. 5 of the drawing, and a threaded block 82 secured as by welding to the side of the engine mounting frame 35. An adjusting screw 83 extends through an opening in the bearing 8| and is threadedly received in the threaded block 82. A winged head as engages one side of the bearing 85 and cotter pin 85 extends through the adjusting screw engaging the opposite sideof the bearing 8! to maintain the rod endwardly and rotatably in the bearing 8!. By manual rotation of the adjusting screw, by means of the winged head 34, the engine mounting frame and the engine thereon may be adjusted longitudinally of the railway car to maintain the engine in a horizontal attitude with the belt 36 at the proper tension.

The engine 32 is rigidly mounted on the engine mounting frame 35 in the cradle 34 with the cradle provided with a horizontal platform 99 on which the engine is secured and with raised outwardly extending wings 9| at each side thereof. A pair of fingers 82 are secured to and extend inwardly from the engine mounting frame 35 and rubber cushions are located between the wings 9! and the fingers s2 to provide a somewhat resilient mounting for the engine.

A belt guard as is located over the endless belt 39 and the pulleys 29 and 38 to protect the belt from weeds and grass and other debris along the railway right-of-way and as a safety factor. The guard is elongated and of channel cross section having a central opening therethrough substantially its full length covered with an expanded metal screen 97.

Inasmuch as railroad regulations require that no part of a railway car shall extend beyond the side of the car further than a specified short distance, novel means are provided for supporting the belt guard closely adjacent to the near side "oithe railway car. The lower end-of the hook extension I I 9.

belt guard is supported by means of an Lbar 98 having a shorter leg secured to the upper side of the guard by means of a thumb screw 99. A longer leg of the L-bar is provided with a plurality of openings I therethrough which are .Ill4 in the belt guard 96. The upper end of the belt guard is supported on a guard support I which is adapted to be attached into the central opening 2| of the frame of the railway car. This guard support includes an inner bracket I06 and an outer bracket If)? both conveniently formed of strap metal. Both of the brackets I06 and I01 are substantially L-shaped with longer leg I98 of the inner bracket terminated in a rod portion I89 and the longer leg provided with a headed pin I In midway of its length. The

shorter leg I I I of the inner bracket H16 continues in'a short arm portion I I2 at right angles to the shorter leg HI and a right angular extension H3 and terminates in an endwardly extended pointed hook H4. The outer bracket Iii] has a longer leg H5 and a shorter leg IE6 with an opening IIl formed through the shorter leg for reception of the rod portion I99 of the inner bracket I06. This shorter leg lit continues in a right angular inwardly extending short arm II8 and terminates in an outwardly directed The longer leg H5 of the outer bracket terminates in an endwardly and right angularly bent lip I29 having an opening therethrough for the free reception of a screw I2I therethrough. The screw is anchored in the shorter leg III of the inner bracket. A wing nut I22 is screw-threadedly received on the outer end of the screw I2I forcibly to extend the telescopic association of the inner and outer brackets to tighten the guard support I diametrically of the frame 26. To mount the guard support I05 adjacent to and concentrically of the crank shaft 25 and frame 20, the wing nut I22 is backed off on the screw I2I and the support I telescopically retracted. The hook extension IIQ is first inserted through the central opening of the cover plate 20 and the pointed hook I I4 is subsequently threaded into this same opening. The wing nut I22 is subsequently turned downwardly sliding the inner and outer brackets outwardly and securing the finger I :4 and the hook extension II9 securely into the opening in the frame. The end slot I64 of the belt guard 96 is slid onto the headed pin I it] and the lower end of the guard supported on the rod 44. By the provision of a guard support I05, the upper end of the belt guard may be quickly attached to the side of the railway car with the belt guard located closely to the side of the railway car. By the provision of the slot in the guard engaging the headed pin on the guard support, differences in dimension between the fan shaft 25 and the torsion support member 42 is readily accommodated.

Liquid fuel is supplied to the internal combustion engine 42 through a flexible conduit I24 from a fuel tank I25. Novel and advantageous means are provided for removably supporting the This supporting 8 means-comprises means, shown in Figs. 9 to 12 of the drawing, including a' clamp support I26.

.The clamp support comprises a right angular bar 121 having a vertical leg I28 and a right angular bent horizontal leg I29 which terminates in a hooked end I30. This hooked end I30 is adapted .to hook onto the upper edge of one of the cross beams I4 of the refrigerator car. The clamp support is held in place by means of a movable jaw I3I which straddles the horizontal leg I29 of the bar I21 and is movable by means of a screw I32. The screw extends slidably through a cylindrical block I33 welded to the upper side of the horizontal leg I29 of the angular bar I21. A wing nut screws onto the screw I32 to move forcibly the jaw I3I to clamping relation against the beam I4.

A yoke I33 is pivotally mounted at I39 on a horizontal axis on the clamp support I26 so that the fuel tank l25 may be leveled transversely of the railway car. A thumb screw I46 extends through an arcuate slot MI in the vertical leg I28 of the angular bar I21 and is threadedly received in the yoke below its pivot so that on tightening the thumb screw, the yoke may be held in any desired pivotal position.

The fuel tank is preferably supported on a supporting frame I46 of any suitable form with a plurality of rubber cushions I47 located between the tank and frame. A support ear I48 extends horizontally and endwardly from the tank supporting frame which is dimensioned vertically to fit closely between the ears of the yoke I38. A pin I49 passes vertically downwardly through aligned openings in the yoke and support ear to maintain the tank supporting frame and tank thereon in assembled relation on the yoke and clamp support I26. A pair of horizontally and transversely spaced projections I5I extend from the support ear and engage opposite sides of the yoke I38 to prevent the tank from swaying laterally of the railway car. A chain I52 is tensioned between the tank supporting frame I46 and an adjacent cross beam I4 of the railway car to aid in supporting the fuel tank and further to prevent lateral swaying of the tank, as shown in Fig. 1.

Operation The installation, operation and utility of the present invention is believed to be apparent from the foregoing description and is briefly summarized at this point.

As hereinbefore stated, the refrigerator car including the ice bunkers, circualtion fans, fan shaft 25, pulley 26, frame 2!], and the support member 42 are all conventional construction and are generally found in refrigerated railway cars.

To install the self-contained driving apparatus for the fan shaft of the refrigerator car, the engine may be mounted first. With the engine 32, cradle 34, engine mounting frame 35, torsion support member 42, and rod 44 in assembled relation, and with the sleeved nut 49 and spacer member removed from the rod, the long end of the rod is inserted inwardly through the sleeve of the bracket 33 until the conical washer 41 engages the sleeve. The tubular portion 54 of the spacer member is slipped over the inner end of the rod and the sleeved nut 49 threaded onto the rod against the spacer member. The spacer member is positioned endwardly on the rod either as shown in Fig. 6 or as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawing, depending on the existence or absence of the wooden beam 64 as part of the railway assaeoe 9 an. B i h enin h s eev -c1 et on he e against 'thefspacer member 38, the spacer member is held non-7rotatably, by engagement either with the. bracket 33 or the wooden beam 64. The endless belt es is placed over and around the pulleys. 26. and 393. i

The adjusting screw 83 is. manually turned by means of its winged head at, to shift the engine mounting frame to tighten the belt.

The drive belt 3 9 is given the proper tension by loosening the sleeved nut 49 slightly so that the rod 5 be forcibly turned. The adjust-v ing. rod 58 is turned in a direction to rotate the tubular portion 54 of the spacer member and the rod 44 in a direction to distort the rubber cushion 65 in a manner to create a downward torque on the engine mounting frame and engine supported thereon. This torque forces the engine and frame downwardly to tension the belt and the amount of saidl tension is controlled by the rotation of the adjusting screw 58. A proper balance must be reached between the adjustment of torque adjustin screw 53 and engine frame positioning screw as to provide the proper tensioning of the drive belt 35 and to maintain the engine substantially horizontally.

The belt guard is installed by first attaching the guard support N35 to the opening E9 in the cover plate 29. The inner and outer brackets H36 and it? are slid relatively to bring the pointed hook EM and the hook extension H9 closer to gether after loosening the wing nut 622. The lunch and the hook extension are inserted into the opening in the cover plate and the wing nut rotated, separating the finger and extension securing the guard support to the side of the car by diametric expansion in the frame 29. The end slot 554 in the belt guard is slipped over the headed pin lid on the guard support and the lower end of the guard sup orted on the rod it by sliding one of the openings on the L-bar 98 over the end of the rod and tightening the wing nut 151 against the bar. The slot in the end of the guard compensates for differences in distances between the fan shaft and the engine shaft in different railway cars on which the apparatus may be mounted. The adjustment of the L-bar 93 longitudinally of the guard and the provision of the plurality of openings in the L-bar provides for locating the lower end of the guard symmetrically of the belt at its lower end regardless of slight differences in the horizontal or vertical positioning of the engine crank shaft. I

The fuel tank i2 5 is mounted below the body of the railway car by engaging the hooked end H39 of the clamp support 226 over an edge of a cross beam E5 of the car. The jaw I3! is moved into firm engagement with the opposite side of the beam by manual rotation of the wing nut I34. With the pin Hi9 removed from the yoke ltd, the supporting ear ltd on the tank supporting frame is inserted into the yoke. The pin is inserted downwardly through the aligned openings in the yoke and ear supporting the frame and tank on the beam of the car. The projections l5! engaging the yoke and the chain I52 prevent the tank from swaying laterally of the car. Fuel is fed to the engine through the fuel line I24 connected between the tank and. engine.

The fans of the circulating system of the refrigerator car may be operated conventionally from the wheels of the car whenever the car is in motion. In instances when the car is standthe on e may be started to rotatethefan 5 and th fans thema ic crea e 10. the car through the ice bunkers. This may be done regardless of the availability ofa source ofelectrical energy inasmuch as, the motivating ap' paratus is self-complete, including its source of energy. Further, the apparatus of the present invention is frequently utilized during movement of the car to which it is attached to assure pre cooling and/ or adequate refrigeration in transit, a particular problem when the car is moved slow-j ly. When this is done the drive connection of the fan shaft with the car wheels [2 is declutched in the conventionally provided manner in railway cars. It will be obvious that when suiiiciently rapid movement of the railway car is anticipated to achieve adequate cooling of the car and it is desired to carry the apparatus of the present invention in dead-head fashion for subsequent use, proper adjusting of the tortional mounting of the engine permits convenient removal of the drive belt 36. The subject invenvention is not to be regarded as the. simple sub; stitution of an internal combustion enginefor the described electric motor drive or wheel drive previously known and previously described in connection with the discussion of the conventional apparatus employed. The apparatus in practical use achieves all of the advantages of both of the discussed prior apparatus and a dependability of precooling and refrigeration in transit not attainable by either or both of said prior known apparatus.

The broad essence of the invention is believed to reside in the provision of a self-sufiicierit driving apparatus for the ventilation fans'of conventional railway cars which may be utilized in all operational environments permitting precooling in transit and a con istently adequate refrigera tion in transit not attainable by the prior practices. The apparatus of the present invention is conveniently and easily mounted in the position shown in Fig. 1 and dismounted. In actual practice, the apparatus is employed to precool the cars in transit obviating the conventionally experienced delay in movement of the car for several hours to achieve the precooling. Further, the apparatus is popularly utilized subsequent to the preeooling operation while the car is marshaled with other cars for subsequent travel to a point of destination. The apparatus is usually detached from the car at a point of travel sub sequent to completion of the precooling'operation and subseouent to the marshaling and all portions of the route of travel normally requiring slow movement; 1. e., the mountains lying be tween the fruit' producing areas of California and the eastern markets, and returned to the points of origination of subseouent railway cars ladened with produce. In addition to the broad inventive concept, specific details of invention reside in the motor mounting structure, the belt guard mounting structure, and the tank mounting structure previously described in detail.

Althou h the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a refrigerator car having means to circ'ulate air therethrough including a fan shaft exa a, ll

tending transversely of the refrigerator car with an end of the shaft exposed through an opening formed through a side of the car, means for rotating said fan shaft comprising a pulley secured to the end of said shaft, an engine having a crank shaft pivotally mounted pendantly from the underside of the car with the crank shaft axially parallel to the fan shaft, a pulley secured to the crank shaft in a plane common to the pulley on the fan shaft, an endless belt extended circuitously around the pair of pulleys, an elongated belt guard locatedin shielding relation over the belt andpulleys supported at one of the ends on the pivotal support of the engine and at its opposite end formed with a central longitudinally extending endwardly open slot, and a guard support having a central headed stud received by the slot, said guard support including bracket portions extended inwardly and radially for engagement with the periphery of the opening in the side of the refrigerator car, and means for adiusting the spacing of the brackets.

2. In a combination with a bracket providing a substantially horizontal sleeve, a rod extended through the sleeve, a frusto-conical collar slidably mounted on the rod in engagement with the sleeve, a cylindrical cushion mounted concentrically of the rod in abutting relation to the collar, a tubular member fitted in circumscribing relation to the cushion, a washer mounted concentrically of the shaft in abutting relation to the cushion, means limiting axial movement of the washer relative to the shaft away from the cushion, an engine cradle mounted on the tubular member in fixed radial relation thereto, an endwardly reversible cylindrical member having opposite concentric frusto-conical ends slidably mounted on the shaft with an end in abutting relation with the sleeve opposite to the washer, a key extended from the cylindrical member slidably engaged in a keyway formed longitudinally of the shaft, a bracket box rotatably mounted on the cylindrical member and radially extended therefrom, said bracket box having spikes extended axially of the cylindrical member therefrom. means screw threadably mounted on the shaft in abutting relation to the cylindrical member whereby the sleeve is tightly clam ed between the cylin rical member and the collar and the cushion radially expanded between the shaft and tubular member by clamping of the cushion between the collar and the washer, an arm ra ially extended from the cylindrical member, and an adjustment rod rotatably mounted in the bracket box radially removed from the cylindrical me er and screw-threadablv mounted in the radially extended end of the arm whereby the relative rotat onal positioning of the shaft is adiustable relative to the bracket box,

3. In com nation with 'a refrigerated railway car having ice bunkers and a rotary fan to circulate air through the car and the ice bunkers, an internal combustion engine having a driv ng pulley, a pulley mounted in driving connection with the fan, means releasably mounting the en ine on the railway car in adiustably spaced relation to the fan with the pulleys in a common plane, a drive belt in circumscribing relation to the pulleys, a bracket mounted on the railway car providing a stud axially extended from the fan pulley, and an'elongated guard in housing relation to the pulleys and belt having 4. In combination with a refrigerated railway car having an air pervious ice bunker, a fan mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis at the bottom of the bunker, and a pulley mounted in driving connection to the fan exteriorly of the car; a bracket mounted on the car; a cradle pivotally mounted on the bracket for movement about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the fan; a frame mounted in the cradle for adjustable movement tangential to a circle concentric to the pivotal axis of the cradle; an internal combustion engine having a 7 drive pulley mounted in the frame with the pulley in substantial alignment with the fan pulley; and an endless belt in circumscribing relation to the pulleys.

5., In combination with a refrigerated car having an air pervious ice bunker, a fan mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis at the bottom of the bunker, and a pulley mounted in driving connection to the fan exteriorly of the car; a bracket mounted on the car; a cradle pivotally mounted on the bracket for movement about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the fan; a frame mounted in the cradle for adjustable movement tangential to a circle concentric to the pivotal axis of the cradle; an internal combustion engine having a drive pulley mounted in the frame with the pulley in substantial alignment with the fan pulley; an endless belt in circumscribing relation to the pulleys; a bracket mounted on the railway car providing a stud axially extended from the fan pulley exteriorly of the car; and an elongated guard mounted in housing relation to the pulleys and belt having an end pivotally supported concentrically of the pivotal mounting of the cradle and an opposite and provided with a longitudinal slot slidably received over the stud.

6. An engine mounting comprising a sleeve, means mounting the sleeve in a substantially horizontal position, an elongated shaft having a keyway formed longitudinally thereof positioned concentrically in the sleeve and oppositely extended therefrom, a cylindrical member slidably mounted on the shaft, a key mounted in the cylindrical member slidably engaged in the keyway of the shaft, a bracket box rotatably mounted on the cylindrical member and radially extended therefrom, an arm rigidly extended radially from the cylindrical member, a screwthreaded means interconnecting the radially extended end of the arm and a radially extended portion of the bracket box for relative pivotal positioning thereof on the cylindrical member, a collar mounted on the shaft opposite the sleeve from the cylindrical member, a cylindrical cushion mounted on the shaft in abutting relation to the collar, a tubular member fitted in circumscribing relation on the cushion, an engine cradle mounted on the tubular member, and means screw-threadably mounted on the shaft for drawing the collar and the cylindrical member into clamping engagement with the sleeve and simultaneously compressing the cushion for radial expansion thereof against the tubular 7 member.

'7. Means for mounting an engine on a support member comprising a sleeve mounted in a substantially horizontal position on the support member, an elongated shaft having a keyway formed longitudinally therein mounted concentrically in the sleeve and having ends oppositely extended therefrom, a bracket member rotatably mounted on the shaft and radially extended therefrom, an arm rigidly mounted on the shaft adjacent to the bracket member and radially extended therefrom, screw-threaded means interconnecting the radially extended end of the arm and a radially extended portion of the bracket member for relative pivotal adjustment thereof, a collar mounted on the shaft opposite the sleeve from the bracket member, a cylindrical cushion mounted on the shaft in abutting relation to the collar, a tubular member fitted in circumscribing relation to the cushion, an engine cradle mounted on the tubular member, movement resisting means mounted on the bracket member for engagement with the support member, and means screw-threadably mounted on the shaft for drawing the collar into clamping engagement with the sleeve, compressing the cushion for radial expansion thereof 14 against the tubular member, and simultaneously drawing the movement resisting means into support member engagement.

HUBER/I S. GOSS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,139,158 Boerries May 11, 1915 2,036,755 Hull Apr. 7, 1936 2,102,725 Lithgow Dec. 21, 1937 2,243,114 Ness et al May 27, 1941 2,272,981 Nelson Feb. 10, 1942 2,382,667 Ryan, Jr. Aug. 14, 1945 2,400,224 Christensen et a1. May 14, 1946 

